Eccentricity gauge for wire and cable and method for measuring concentricity

Abstract

A device for measuring the location of a conductor within an insulating sheath using three measuring planes, in which at least one measuring plane is able to locate the conductor and at least one is able to locate the periphery of the outer sheath.

1. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis, which comprises:
 at least three separate measuring devices axially spaced along the z-axis in a manner such that each device can obtain for storage a measurement of the object in a distinct measuring plane at a predetermined point of the z-axis, wherein each plane is oriented at a predetermined degree of angle with respect to the z-axis and each said device is equipped to obtain for storage a measurement of the object at a given predetermined time and actual x-y coordinates; and 
 a computer based device operably connected to said measuring devices having software means for receiving and storing said three sets of actual measured coordinates, employing two sets of said actual coordinates to derive a projected third set of coordinates and calculating eccentricity by accounting for a difference in the projected third set of coordinates between the actual third set of coordinates. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a cable including an insulating jacket and an inner wire and a first of said devices is capable of measuring diameter of the wire and a second of said devices is capable of measuring diameter of the jacket and a third of said devices is capable of measuring one of the diameter of the wire and jacket. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said devices includes an optical measuring device and one of said devices includes a magnetic measuring device. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 3 , which is further characterized to include two optical measuring devices forming planes on either side of said magnetic measuring device forming a magnetic plane. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 3 , which is further characterized to include two optical measuring devices forming planes to one side of said magnetic measuring device forming a magnetic plane. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 3 , which is further characterized to include two magnetic measuring devices forming planes to one side of said optical measuring device forming an optical plane. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis of  claim 3 , which is further characterized to include two magnetic measuring devices forming planes on either side of said optical measuring device forming an optical plane. 
     
     
       8. A method for measuring eccentricity and diameter of an elongated object moving generally along a z axis; which comprises the steps of:
 (a) employing at least three separate measuring devices axially spaced along the z-axis in a manner such that each device can obtain a measurement of the object in a distinct measuring plane at a predetermined point of the z-axis, wherein each plane is oriented at a predetermined degree of angle with respect to the z-axis; 
 (b) taking a measurement with each device at a given predetermine time as the object moves thereby in order to obtain three sets of x-y coordinates for an area to be measured of the object; and 
 (c) using the three sets of coordinates to determine eccentricity of the object. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the object is a cable. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , which further includes employing a computer-based device to perform step (c). 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein step (a) is characterized such that said separate measuring devices are equipped to obtain for storage said measurement and further characterizes step (c) to include employing a computer based having software thereon to manipulate said coordinates to determine eccentricity. 
     
     
       12. A method for computing a location of a conductor within an insulating sheath, which includes the steps of:
 (a) employing at least three measuring planes wherein at least one plane is able to measure the location of the inner conductor to derive a first set of coordinates of a first plane and at least one plane is able to measure the location of the outer sheath to derive a second set of coordinates of a second plane, and the remaining plane is able to measure one of the location of the outer sheath and the location of the inner conductor to derive a third set of coordinates in said third plane; and 
 (b) using said first set of said coordinates and said second set of said coordinates to derive a projected set of coordinates in said third plane of said planes and comparing said projected set of coordinates to said third set of coordinates to determine eccentricity and location of said conductor within said sheath.